Officer, police dog wounded in Salem City shootout; suspect now holding authorities at bay in East Broadway house

View full sizeStaff photo by Britney LillyaPolice on the scene of a standoff on East Broadway in Salem. A suspect in the house shot at officer and wounded a policeman and a police K-9 dog.

SALEM — A police officer was wounded in a shootout with a suspect who is now holding officers at bay in a house in Salem City, authorities said.

The officer suffered a graze wound from a bullet in the incident, according to Salem County Prosecutor John T. Lenahan who is on the scene along with a large, armed presence of other law enforcement officers.

The incident began around 3 p.m. when two Salem City Police officers and a Salem County detective responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic violence incident at 301 East Broadway in the city.

When the officers arrived, the male at the scene ran inside the house and started firing at the officers, Lenahan said. Police returned gunfire, the prosecutor said.

The male suspect, who police did not immediately identify, remains in the house. It is believed a female, possibly a girlfriend, and some minor children are also inside the house.

A Salem City Police K-9 dog was hit by gunfire from the home. The dog reportedly was hit in the chest and taken to a local veterinarian and is being transported to the University of Pennsyvlania’s Veterinary Hospital for further treatment.

A cold, heavy rain is now falling in the city as officers ring the house.

The scene of the standoff, 301 E. Broadway, is a duplex house.

A wide area around the scene has been closed off to traffic and pedestrians. East Broadway is the main traffic artery through downtown Salem.